Mobile airplane hangar structure



Sept. 22, 1953 J. MITCHELL MOBILE AIRPLANE HANGAR STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1949 FIG.2

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ATTORNEYS Se t. 22, 1953 J. L. MITCHELL 2,652,906

MOBILE AIRPLANE HANGAR STRUCTURE Filed April 27, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

ATTORNEYS Se t. 22, 1953 J. L. MITCHELL MOBILE AIRPLANE HANGAR STRUCTURE Filed April 27, 1949 INVENTOR. M2)? L M'ZC/ZPJ/ I BY zap/K ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT" orric MJQBILE .STEHQTURE;

John L. Mitchell; New York,

MitchclI-Mobilhangar Corporation, New York, 3 N.- Y., a corporation of New York plic n trium 19 seraiNc-aarn 5 Claims: (Cl. 189-115) My invention relates to improvements. in .pQrt.--

able hang rs. for airplanes, that. is, a hangar. which may be moved from one field to. another withoutdisassernbly.

More particularly the invention relates to an airplane hangar having sections which may be moved relative to each other, the sections in turn being readily moved, as for example, by towing, from one part of an air field to another, andin particular relationships with respect to each other to form a complete hangar adapted to enclose or substantially enclose an airplane.

The problem of providing hangars for airplanes is, avvery critical problem at the present stage of aircraft development, because of the tendency to maize use or larger and larger airplanes.

conventional type hangars for aircraft.

Air transportation; have found it extremely diiiicult to operate their large airplanes at reasonable costs because of the lack of hangar space for overhauling, repairs and protection of their airplanes while at air stations orair ports.

The primary object, therefore, ofthe present invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive portable hangar construction which'does not require heavy foundations and which may be readily moved to enclose or, substantially-enclose an airplane, either on anair location on: an air field.

In accordance with the features of myinvention, I provide a portable airplane hangarhavingsections, .each of which'are separately movable with respect. to

enclose it so that the plane may berepaired, overhauled, or protected from-atmospheric conditions:

A preferred form of my improved portable hangar comprises a pair, of portable; sections each being of generally triangular shape in plan, each section having two vertical side walls converging toward each other to form a corner or apex of the;

section, a roof portionconnecting said sidewalls, structure forming an open'side adapted to match with a similar side of another portable section, and-wh ls rrying portable hangar includes wheel units-adapted to bear upon the ground and support the-hangar sections a suitable height above the ground, and means for lowering the hangar sections with respect to the supporting wheel units whereby the hangar sections may be lowered down into engagement with the ground, runway or parking surface. Each portable section of the hangar advantageously includes a plurality of wheel units location onan air.

, 7 Anotherproblem isthe extremely high cost'of providing;

companies furthermore strip or on a-parliingeach other and which may bemoved over-an airplane to completely or partially each section upon-Which the. section may be towed into any desired position. an advantageous construction of my preferred,

eachof which. issupportedifroina cylinder hired to the sections, and means iorsupplying pressure fluid to and releasing pressure fluid from the cylinder' to respectively lift the hangar section with respect to its wheel units and lower the hangar section. with respect to the wheel units.

My improved portable hangar includes other features which will be described hereinafter in connection withcertain illustrative embodiments of the inventionasshown in the accompanying,

one. of the .hangar-seetiQnS, movedpartially over.

his 51s.aninsideiriewoitoneoi' ie sec o tne.p.qr a .l ..;hansar looki g di ctly toward pex i dissection.

of the hangar sections taken on a line'substantiall'yequally dividin-g theapex angle, with" portions of the-roofstructure'brolren away;

ftis a-pl anview-on a smaller scale of the hangar sectioi is-shown-in-Figs. 5 and 6, with the roof heetingfremoved;

- dis an upside' down section shows-m l ig'fll" dis a broken fragmentary view: of the apex view of the. hangar of Oflflfiflli'll sections of 217118; hangar showing-the wheehunit anditowehitchli big: :16 is. airagmentaryvhorizontai,,sectionai VIQWJtIZIIQU'gl'lL thetow-hitclratrt ea eaas sho in; ig. 9.

ke se ona view sho i a is str c r ged detailed view of one of ents. of the; roofstructure supporting means for the open side of each hangar section. lileferrin v t0. Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the improved hangar is illustrated as comprising a pairoj similar section IB and. I teach supported by wheel units Hand I8a-ndeach provided'with a towing-hitch; I9 at the apex.

It will be noted that" each'section inplan is shaped substantially-like an-isosceles triangle and 3. withnser ions abuttin each. other substantially enclosing the airplane as 6 is'a partiaivertiqal sectional view of one that each section is open along the side corresponding to the base of the triangle, that is, has no side wall along that side.

The hangar sections l and I6 shown in Fig. 1 are spaced apart with respect to each other, while a large airplane 29 has been moved in between the sections. Fig. 2 shows the section l5 moved into place, while Fig. 3 shows both sections l5 and IS in matching engagement along their roof edges over the airplane 26, except for the tail portion of the plane. This may be one use for the portable hangar in taking care of relatively large airplanes for the purpose of effecting repairs or for protecting the main features of the plane from weather conditions. The two hangar sections may be used to completely enclose an airplane, or individual sections may be used to shield selected portions of the plane, such as a pair of engines, from adverse weather conditions while being repaired.

Each hangar section as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a pair of side walls 2| and 22 which converge toward each other and are joined at their meeting ends to form the apex of the hangar. Each section also includes a roof 23 attached to the top of the walls 2| and 22, lower doors 24 and upper doors 25, the outer edges of which form part of the vertical edges or ends of the walls 2| and 22 along the open side of the section.

The walls 2| and 22 are advantageously provided with windows 26 which may be of any desired construction, and the roof 23 may be sheeted with steel, aluminum or a transparent plastic such as Lucite or include transparent sections. Each hangar section |5 and I6 includes a wheel unit l8 mounted in each of the walls 2| and 22 near the doors 24.

The roof of each hangar section takes the form of a slight oval between the upper portions of the walls 2| and 22, as shown, for example, in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the roof of each section including an oval edge 21 which matches a similar edge of the other section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

My improved hangar sections are advantageously made up of metal structural units such as duraluminum, steel or other suitable forms, and covered with suitable sheeting materials, such as steel, aluminum, Lucite, Plexiglas or other desired materials. The wall frame structures are shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, the walls 2| and 22 being similar and having ends secured to a vertical apex upright or column 28. Each wall also includes a top plate 29 which may be an angle bar as shown in Fig. 11, and a bottom plate 30 which may be a similar structural member. The plates 29 and 30 are connected to the vertical column 28 at the apex and to another vertical upright or column 3| near the wheel units l8. Each wall 2| and 22 also includes a pair of vertical structural members or columns 32 and 33, the latter of which supports the doors 24 and 25. The vertical column 32 is effectively braced to the column 3| by a horizontal metal structural member or members 34 to which a cylinder 35 for the wheel unit I8 is fixed by brackets 35a.

Each of the walls 2| and 22 as shown in Fig. 6, advantageously includes a cantilever bracing structure between the plate 29 and the vertical column 3|, comprising an angle brace 36 with a number of truss members 31, 38, 39, 40, 4| and 42, arranged as shown in Fig. 6. The members 'floor 55 extends into 36 to 42 may be metal angle irons or equivalent structural shapes.

The roof 23 includes a plurality of rafters 43 illustrated as of angle iron form. These rafters extend between the top plates 29 of the walls 2| and 22, parallel to the front edge 21.

In a preferred form of roof construction, as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, the vertical columns 33 for the walls 2| and 22, as shown in Fig. 5, support and are braced by a trussed arch structure made up of a lower beam 44, an upper rafter beam 45 spaced from the lower beam and secured thereto by a'multiplicity of bracing elements 46 and 41. In making the trussed beam structure the bracing elements 46 and 41 preferably have their ends overlapped and are riveted or bolted to the beams 44 and 45, as indicated in Fig. 12.

The trussed beam comprising the arched members 44 and 45 is adapted to sustain considerable weight and is provided for the purpose of supporting a cantilever visor type of structure to form the edge 21 of the open end of each hangar section. The portion of the roof of each section, therefore, from the trussed beam to the edge 21, is supported by a plurality of basic cantilever units 48 secured in spaced relation along the beams 44 and 45 in the manner shown in detail in Fig. 12, from which it will be seen that each unit 48 includes a forwardly-projecting upper horizontal beam or bar 49 for supporting the roof sheeting and attached to the beam 45, a brace beam 50 attached to the beam 44 and to the outer end of the bar 49. The two beams 49 and 59 are made into cantilever construction by tie bars 5| and bracing bars 52. The ends of the members 49 are tied together in spaced relation by means of an end bar 53 which is at and forms the edge 21 of the hangar section.

Adjacent roof supports 48 are advantageously braced with respect to each other by means of braces 54 and 55, arranged in the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8, at least one of the braces, as for example 54, being in the plane of the top of the beams 49 of the members 48. The braces 55 are directly under the braces 54 so that the whole structure comprising the members 48, 44, 45, 53, 54 and 55 comprise a complex cantilever construction adapted to support the roof sheeting and any reasonable snow load thereon, for the complete span between the uprights 33 of each section.

The hanger sections shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as well as those shown in Figs. '1 and 8, include a floor 56 which is preferably made up of sheet steel and supporting steel joist members connected between the sides 2| and 22 of each hangar section. As seen in Figs. 7 and 8, the the apex of the walls 2| and 22 along approximately two-thirds of each side, the floor having two converging edges 51 and 58 which meet at a point mid-way of the sides and approximately one-third of the distance from the open side of the hangar section to the apex beam 28. This floor may be at any desired level and is effective for the carrying of tools and various supplies used in the repair of airplanes. Furthermore, the particular web section of the floor 56 in the apex of the section and portions extending along the sides, as shown in Figs. '1 and 8, comprises an efiective bracing means for the walls 2| and 22 of the mobile hangar sections.

The wall structures shown in Figs. 5 and 6 differ somewhat in that in Fig. 5 vertical structural members 59 are provided in place of the The supporting members and bracing 34 for the cylinders 35 are connected between the up ights 32 and 59. Other vertical structural members (iii are also provided as well as short uprights 6! which extend to the floor 56 from the lower wall plates 3%]. Corner bracing may be provided between the uprights 33 and the roof beam (i l.

The drawings, particularly Figs. 5 to 9, show diagrammatically, the means for attaching the wheel units to the hanger sectionsand the means for their operation.

The supporting wheel unit ll adjacent the apex of each hangar section will be seen as comprising a pair of rubber-tired wheels mounted on an axle 62 carrying a forked frame 63, the upper vertical bar of which carries a piston .64 mounted in a pressure cylinder 65. The axle 62 extends through vertical slots in the walls 2! and 22.

Each of the wheel units It includes a single rubber-tired wheel mounted on an arm 66 having a vertical portion extending into the cylinder 35 and terminating in a piston 51. It will be understood that the cylinders 35 and 65 with their retaining brackets 35a are rigidly mounted with respect to the wall frame of the hangar section and that suitable bracing means are provided to insure vertical movement of the pistons and the rods or arms which connect them with the wheels. Each wheel and wheel unit may be generally of the rubber tire type used for moderately heavy airplanes. The arms 65 and pistons 69 are arranged to rotate to a limited extent in the cylinders 35 so that the wheel units It may turn as necessary during the maneuvering of the hangar sections.

In the particular arrangement shown in the drawings, the wheels of the units H are mounted outside the walls 2! and 22, while the wheels of units iii are shown slightly inside the walls but the exact position of these wheels is of no particular importance except that they should be in the approximate positions shown, at the corners of the sections, to properly support and convey the hangar sections. A single wheel of the type of the wheel units it may replace the unit ll if desired, but the two-wheel truck is preferred, and it may be arranged to turn with respect to the hangar section and carry the towhitch for pushing or pulling the hangar section.

Either pneumatic or hydraulic means may be provided for elevating the hangar sections with respect to the wheel units. As illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, this means comprises a power unit 68 for supplying pressure fluid, for example, an air compressor and air storage tank, or a pumping unit and an accumulator for hydraulic fluid. Unit 68 is connected by a main pressure-fluid supply pipe 69 and branch pipes ill and H, to the cylinders 35 and the cylinder 65, respectively. The pipe 59 is provided with a main control valve l2, a relief outlet 13 for the lines l and ii having a control valve 14. The lines it have control valves 75 and the line i! has a control valve 15.

The hangar sections shown in Figs. and 6 are resting directly on the ground so that the Wheels are not carrying any weight. In this position the valves i4, i5 and it are open, while the valve 12 is closed. If it is desired to move a hangar section, the valve is is closed and the valve i2 gradually opened to supply pressure fluid, such as air, to the lines It and H, so that the cylinders 35 and 65 are moved up with remembers .31.

spect to the pistons 61 and 64, thereby raising the hangar section up so that its weight is carried by wheel units I7 and [8. This position of the wheels and the ground level are shown by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 6.

When the cylinders are completely up, all parts of the hangar section will have been raised the same amount, for example, ten inches or a foot above ground, because of the similarity of the pistons and cylinders, and then the valve 32 maybe closed. When the hangar section is moved to its new position, it may be let down on the ground, if desired, by opening the valve M and releasing the air. The wheels may be provided with brakes for use in steering or for setting the sections when they are not let down. Where a hydraulic system is used and oil, for example, is supplied through the line 69, it will be understood, of course, that the relief line 53 will be provided with a return to the oil supply. Valves l5 and it may be used individually to cut off the supply of fluid to, the release of fluid from, the respective cylinders, or for controlling the relative rates of supply or release.

It will be noted that the pressure fluid supply unit 58 is carried directly upon the floor This fioor may also carr a portable generator, space heater and other equipment, useful in the overhauling and repairing of airplanes.

The towing hitch 59, illustrated as secured to the lower part of the apex of each hangar section, is. advantageously comprised of a pair of plates 35} integral with the hitch structure and which are riveted or bolted to the main beam 2c, in the manner shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings. This may be used for pulling or pushing the hangar section into place.

The vertical apex beam 22 is shown as having an arrowhead structure in section, as indicated in Fig. 10. This particular structure provides an effective truss construction for the hangar section, since the walls 2! and 2.2 converge toward the beam 28 and therefore provide a very stable construction. Instead of making the apex structure pointed, as shown, the apex beam .25 may have a slightly different form, as for example, a modified I-beam construction or T-constmction, so t .at the walls are attached to the flanges of the 'i which may be formed into a slightly rounded point. Where the hangar is relatively small the converging walls 2! and 22 may be secured to an end wall of from to ten feet wide supported by a cantilever bracing frame, but then the side walls must include considerably more bracing than in the construction described above, in order to avoid twisting of the structure.

In the preferred construction, the walls 25 and converge toward each other and their meet ing ends are secured to the beam 23 or its equivalent. In this structure where the walls, for example, extend at an angle of 60 with respect to each other, they brace each other, prevent twisting of the structure and provide a suiiicient- 1y rigid structure to withstand the wind velocities which may be encountered.

In an illustrative example of .a relatively large hangar, the side walls of each section are at an angle of 60 with respect to each other and each ninety feet long from the apex to the edge 2'5. The walls to the top plate are twenty-five feet high while the roof at the highest point, for example at the center of the arch shown in Fig. 5, is thirty feet. From these dimensions it will be seen that the span between the front edges of the walls 2| and 22, that is, corresponding to the edges of the doors 24 and '25 when closed, is ninet feet. The doors 24 and 25 are about eight feet wide and the length of the structural unit 48, as shown in Figs. 6 and 12, is from eight to nine feet.

A hangar may be constructed without the visor roof portion supported by the units 48, so that the open face of the hangar would be at the position of the uprights 33. Where the hangar sections are first constructed and used in this way they may be thereafter enlarged by adding the structural units 48 and extending the roof eight or ten feet as the case may be, the doors and other elements of course being added.

What I claim as new is:

1. A generally diamond-shaped mobile aircraft hangar construction, consisting of a pair of similar separately movable sections each of generally triangular-shape in plan and having a closed end and an open end, each section comprising a pair of upright side walls converging toward each other to form the closed end of the section, the ends of the side walls at the closed end of each hangar section being rigidly joined together to form a rigidly braced structure, a roof for each hangar section supported by the side walls thereof and extending from the closed end of the section to the opposite ends of the side walls thereof, the roof and side walls of each hangar section forming a structure having an open end opposite its closed end, the edges of the side walls and roof of one hangar section at its open end matching and engaging the edges of the facing side walls and roof, respectively, of the open end of the other hangar section when the pair of hangar sections are brought together to form an enclosed hangar structure with said hangar sections opening directly into each other, and means for supporting the roof at the open end of each hangar section including a vertical column inwardly of such end at each side thereof, a braced roof-supporting structure extending across the open end portion of the hangar section inwardly of the edge of the roof with its respective ends attached toand carried by the upper portions of the vertical columns of said section, and a plurality of braced roof-supporting members distributed along said braced roof-supporting structure in spaced relation to each other and extending laterally therefrom toward theopen end of the hangar section and supporting the portion of the roof extending beyond said roof-supporting structure, said pair of hangar sections being movable apart relative to each other to permit the entrance of an aircraft to a position to be enclosed when the pair of hangar sections are thereafter brought together with their edges at their open ends in engagement with each other.

2. A generally diamond-shaped mobile aircraft hangar construction as defined in claim 1 in which the braced roof-supporting structure extending across the open end of each hanger section is of cantilever construction and each side wall of each hanger section includes a doorway and a door at its edge at the open end of the hangar section, whereby the adjacent doorways of the two hangar sections provide an enlarged doorway on opposite sides of the hangar when the sections are together.

3. A generally diamond-shaped mobile aircraft hangar construction as defined in claim 1 having a wheel unit at each of the three corners of each section for supporting the section above the ground, and power means for the wheel units for lowering and raising the wheel units relative to the hangar sections, whereby the lower edges of the hangar sections may be set on the surface of the ground.

4. A generally diamond-shaped mobile aircraft hangar construction as defined in claim 1 including a floor in each hangar section extending from its closed end a substantial distance but a portion only of the distance therefrom to the open end of the hangar section, said floor extending across the hangar section and being secured to said side walls and thereby bracing the lower portion of the side walls with respect to each other.

5. A generally diamond-shaped mobile aircraft hangar construction, consisting of a pair of similar separately movable sections each of generally triangular-shape in plan and having a closed end and an open end, each section comprising a pair of upright side walls converging toward each other to form the closed end of the section, the ends of the side walls at the closed end of each hangar section being rigidly joined together to form a rigidly braced structure, a roof for each hangar section supported by the side walls thereof and extending from the closed end of the section to the opposite ends of the side walls thereof, the roof and side walls of each hangar section forming a structure having an open end opposite its closed end, the edges of the side walls and roof of one hangar section at its open end matching and engaging the edges of the facing side walls and roof, respectively, of the open end of the other hangar section when the pair of hangar sections are brought together to form an en closed hangar structure with said hangar sections opening directly into each other, and means for supporting the roof adjacent the open end of each hangar section including a vertical column adjacent the edge of each side wall at the open end of each section, a braced roof-supporting structure extending across the open end portion of each hangar section and under the roof with the respective ends thereof attached to and carried by the upper portions of the vertical columns of the respective sections, and a braced roof-supporting structure extending inwardly and upwardly from the vertical columns at the opposite sides of each hangar section to the upper edges of the adjacent side walls of the respective sections, said pair of hangar sections being movable apart relative to each other to permit the entrance of an aircraft to a position to be enclosed when the pair of hangar sections are thereafter brought together with their edges at the open ends in engagement with each other.

JOHN L. MITCHELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 293,595 Ribot Feb. 12, 1884 1,470,557 Eremeeff Oct. 9, 1923 2,602,605 Kincaid, Jr. May 28, 1935 2 292,078 Inman et a1 Aug. 4, 1942 2,395,691 Smith Feb. 26, 1946 2,430,186 Miller et al May 6, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,387 Great Britain of 1911 

